Report shows that therapy dogs may reduce risk of self-harm in prisoners
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Therapy dogs can help prisoners to restore their mental health and reduce the risk of serious self-harm, according to a report published today by Centre for Mental Health.
The report
‘Restoring something lost’, by Graham Durcan, is an evaluation of a pilot therapy dog scheme run by Rethink Mental Illness in three prisons in the North East of England.
It finds that the therapy dogs, Magic and Cooper, had a calming influence on prisoners, helped increase coping skills and strategies, and provided a safe space for them to explore ways of expressing and processing their emotions.
The project was provided with grant funding by Her Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) as part of a programme to pilot, develop and test initiatives which may reduce the risk of self-harm or self-inflicted death in prison. The two therapy dogs worked with both women and men (including young men) in three prisons. They were handled by Rethink Mental Illness practitioners who were experienced in working ...
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